Questions:

1.Provide a brief background on the chosen Hotel Organisation and each of the two chosen brands.

2.Explain the differences between the responsibilities of the Rooms Division department in luxury and budget brands.

3.Outline the Front Office operations executed at luxury hotels that differentiate these properties from budget hotels. Be sure to consider preparation for guest arrivals, welcoming guests, check-in process, level of service, departure and post departure processes.

4.Explain three different channels and tools that hotel properties use to Communicate across departments and discuss how each tool contributes to efficient operations and Customer satisfaction.

5.Identify the target Markets for each of the chosen brands and the differing needs and expectations of these Customers.

6.Discuss current strategie seach brand uses to provid equality customer service to their target Market and propose two additional strategies that each of the brands could implement to increase guest satisfaction.

Hotel industry is one of the most important sectors in modern days (Benavides-Velasco, Quintana-García & Marchante-Lara, 2014).  People travel from hotel to hotel for a variety of reasons requiring for different facilities and luxury that meet their needs as well as are budget-friendly. In current days, numerous hotel organizations have diversified portfolio to target specific customer market. They have developed varieties of structures and operations that align to every brand’s purpose and that clearly signify the difference between each brand. However, the front desk department and the room division department of the hotel play a vital role in the success of each hotel and its operations. The quality of service and the guest satisfaction as well differs according to the efficiency of these two.  This report will shed light on the various activities and role of the front desk and the room division departments. Further, it will elaborate on the services that differentiate a luxury brand and a budget brand.

1.Background of AccorHotels and their brands

AccorHotels was established in the year 1967 by Gerard Pelisson and Dubrule. It was the time when no one in France believed the in the hotel business model. By their creativity and effectiveness, they both pushed the boundaries ever further and the result is unknown to none. AccorHotels is their dream of hospitality and it is interesting to pay proper attention to how AccorHotels has so successfully emerged over the years. They have 4,200 hotels in 95 different countries with about 2, 50,000 hospitality experts of AccorHotels who shares the same passion and take care of billions of guests internationally. They have a list of over 20 brands to meet the desires of their guest, ranging from the luxury like Raffles and Banyan Tree to economy like Ibis, Mama and Novotel.  If someone goes through its official website, it is clearly mentioned in a section under the “AccorHotels Overview” that they consider their guests as unique and that they promise to meet their demands.  

Differences in Responsibilities between Luxury and Budget Rooms Division Departments

Accor hotels are one of the most popular hotels in the list of hotel industry. It offers the largest brand portfolio encompassing globally acclaimed luxury to popular mid-scale and budget brands in inspiring and renowned resorts (Kimes & Ho, 2017).  Raffles is one of the best luxury brands of AccorHotels. It is a very charming, elegant, classy, and graceful colonial-style luxury hotels (Cheer & Reeves, 2015) and resorts. It is true example of worldly elegance, style and hospitality. It was name after Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, a British Statesman. Every Raffles hotel offers its guests warm and careful service and delivers emotional luxury to the well-travelled guests. It has started its legendary service since 1887 and has still focused on continuing the same. The suits and apartments of the Raffles hotel have all the elegance and charm to provide its guest. Right from corporate and social meetings to spa journeys and social events, Raffles offer a real choice and it inspire a person to discover more and more and fuel his curiosity. They also provide private residences to various places like at Praslin in Seychelles, Jakarta and Makati in Philippines. They serve as a private home where one can return to time after time. Apart from theses, numerous hotels like the Raffles Singapore, Raffles Istanbul, Raffles Hainan, Raffles Dubai and Raffles Makkah Palace that are considered as the best place to meet. These are the essential stoppage for the travelers for business, events and social galas. Whether it is a board meeting, or a car launch, a team building game at the beach or a striking gala dinner at a historic temple ruin, each element of a meeting and event is carefully considered at Raffles. The lotus flower is the focal inspiration of the Raffles Spa philosophy. The daily transformation of the flower is a symbol of natural strength and revitalization. The most luxurious Raffles Spa destinations  are in Raffles Dubai, Raffles Makkah Palace, Raffles Singapore, Raffles Grand Hotel D’Angkor, Siem Reap, Raffles Hotel Le Royal, Phnom Penh and Spa My Blend by Clarins, Le Royal Monceau, Raffles Paris.

Ibis budget is the budget brand under AccorHotels. It is for those who love awesome service in awesome rates. These are the smartest, casual, contemporary and friendly hotels. They offer great service at a dream price. The cotemporary rooms are for two to three people with comfortable beddings, XL showers, Comfortable beddings and breakfast buffet. These are for those guests who desire to get the most of their money (Fidlschuster, Mayer & Linder, 2017). It is the number one brand in the budget segment in Europe. There are 572 ibis budget hotels in the network around 18 countries.

Ibis budget	Raffles
New design and revamped public spaces by Atelier Archangel: It creates a friendly designed atmosphere and is highly comfortable, stylish and contemporary.	Raffles Butler Service: Raffles Butler services are the living personification of the Raffles’ heritage of signifying service. It takes care of every detail so that their guests have the freedom to unearth local culture and the freedom to space to be themselves.
Nest Room by ibis budget: It provides a great comfort and it combines with ultimate bedding comfort, connectivity and modernity.	Raffles Signature Bars: The Long Bars in the Raffles are lively and joyful places. They are the destinations where the locals as well the tourists socialize, where conversation flows and where people goes to experience the city life and its soul. There are also writer bars is an oasis of tranquility in the Raffles Hotel, where guests goes to relax and unwind.
All-you-can-eat breakfast buffet: Ibis provide its guests with qualitative and healthy products, complied with local specialties.	Raffles Spa: The lotus flower, which transforms daily, is a symbol of natural strength and revitalization.
Sweet Bed: One can experience the best sleeping experience in the ibis hotels in terms of design, technology, product and price.	Raffles Patisserie.:  These places are appreciated by the people who loves ‘treasures’. The sweet pastries are like gems that are discovered and cherished by the people.

	Hotel Raffles	Hotel Ibis
Rooms	Urban; Resort Style Average number of rooms- 100-200; 60-100 villas Average size of the rooms(in sqm)- 60+; 90 Total Gross floor area- 130-150; 170-210	Urban Style Average number of rooms- 100+ Average size of the rooms (in sqm)- 12.5-13.5 Total Gross floor area- 22-25
Segment	High-end Luxury	Low-cost
Food and Beverages	2 Restaurants Specialty restaurant 1 Long bar (urban only) 1 Writers bar Raffles Patisserie	No restaurant But breakfast room and vending machine are available No bar
Well-Being	Raffles Spa Luxury fitness centre Swimming pool	No fitness centre No swimming pool No spa
Meetings, Events & Others	Meeting rooms Raffles library Ballroom Business centre	No Meeting room

Front Office Operations at Luxury Hotels vs. Budget Hotels

The room division department plays a very important role in the working process of a hotel. It is the first department that contacts with the guests and contribute to profit and the whole revenue. It consists of three major segments- the front office, housekeeping and the uniformed services. The front office is one of the many departments of the hotel business that directly communicates with the guests when they first arrive at the hotel (Ahmad & Scott, 2014). They are very visible to the guests. They receive the guests, handles the transactions and requests and they strike the primary impression about the hotel in their minds (W.O’Neill & McGinley, 2014). Their role is to ensure guest satisfaction, sell their service, creating guest database, coordinating guest service, handling guest accounts and handling in-house communication.

It is the duty of the front office staff to communicate with the other staffs of the hotel departments. Their internal communication relies on the PBX (Private Branch Exchange) and IP-PBX (Internet Protocol Private Branch) system.

The housekeeping department is in charge of various functions within the hotel. The laundry services, the room cleaning services, the room inspection services, are all provide by the housekeeping department of the hotel. The uniformed services of consist of doorpersons, valet, bell-staff and concierge. They handle the guest’s baggage at the time of their arrival and departure. The valet representatives park their vehicles and the concierge is expeditor or facilitator.

With house-keeping- The front office communicates with the housekeeping departments about room status and about the availability of ready and clean room.  They communicate on the every detail of potential house count, security concerns, toiletry items and requests for amenities. The official reporting of all the rooms at the end of the day is achieved with a housekeeper’s room report.

Food and beverage department- The front office department and the food and beverages department communicate with each other regarding the information on transfers, estimate of the number of guests that is expected to register, and the processing requests for paid-outs.

Banquet department- The front office  communicate with the banquet department in order take a note on the daily posting of events, preparation of the marquee, and for paying the bills for the events as well. In case if the banquet manager is unable to present the bill for the event, the front desk department should be given clear information about the rental charges, food and beverages services and the like.

Communication Channels and Tools used by Hotel Properties

At both the brand hotels of Accor, the guests are treated with great care. However, there is a slight difference between the two when it comes to guest arrivals, check-in process, level of service and departure service.

Guest arrivals Check-in and Checkout processes: At Raffles, the guests are at first invited to take their seat and are offered a complimentary glass of welcome drink with wine or a cup of coffee. When they are done with the process of sipping and signing in, the host escorts them further to the guestroom.  Earlier, the standard check in time at hotel Raffles was 3:00 pm and the checkout timing was 12 noon but it is no longer prevailing. It is now changed to 24-hour check in/checkout. Ibis has recently approached to mobile technology for the check-in processes, housekeeping and interaction. It says that this has made room for fast online check in and checkout process.

Level of services- There is quite difference in the level of services that they provide to their guest. Raffles, being a luxury brand, makes sure that their guests are getting all the things that the desire. Right from high quality food and beverages to revitalizing and relaxing spa services, Raffles provides its guests with the best service. The majority of the services that it provides are listed briefly in the above. However, in addition to these, it provides their guests with a certificate to drive luxury cars like Lamborghini and Ferrari. With the same, for the guests who likes fine dining, the hotel provides an all-day tour of different places. The guests who like fishing are provided with eco-friendly fishing trip. The reputation performance score (RPS) of Raffles is 92% and it has been concluded from the recent survey that 78% of guests in the world will recommend a hotel from Raffles brand. It is the world’s third most popular luxury hotel brands by AccorHotels. The ibis fails to provide such services but it too provides awesome services like the all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast, nest rooms in extremely affordable prices, and is now the number one brand in the low-cost segment in Europe.

Departure and post departure processes- At the time of guest departure, the accounting system of both the hotels ensures the total payments for the goods and services that are provided to them. In case, if the bill is incompletely paid by tem, the balance is transferred to the non-guest records from guest records. During guest departure, the staff thanks all the guests for their arrival and for giving them the opportunity to serve them and they do the arrangement for handling luggage. In addition to that, if the guest needs any sort of drop facilities, the front office desk fulfills it.

Conclusion

From the above analysis, it could be stated that the front office operations plays a very significant role behind the reputation of a hotel organization. Right from receiving the guest to attending them at the time of their departure, the front office and the room division departments, everything is in their hand. The iconic hotels of the Accor group serve its best to meet customer-satisfaction. However, there are few differences in services offered by the different brands but none is inferior to other in any terms. They are worth their value of money

References

Ahmad, R., & Scott, N. (2014). Managing the front office department: Staffing issues in Malaysian hotels. Anatolia, 25(1), 24-38.

Benavides-Velasco, C. A., Quintana-García, C., & Marchante-Lara, M. (2014). Total quality management, corporate social responsibility and performance in the hotel industry. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 41, 77-87.

Cheer, J. M., & Reeves, K. J. (2015). Colonial heritage and tourism: ethnic landscape perspectives. Journal of Heritage Tourism, 10(2), 151-166.

Fidlschuster, M., Mayer, C., & Linder, P. (2017). Hotel Market Germany. In Understanding German Real Estate Markets (pp. 403-422). Springer International Publishing.

Kimes, S. E., & Ho, J. (2017). Revenue management in luxury hotels. Journal of Revenue and Pricing Management, 1-5